Time sucks
The one constant in life is time. It has been compared to everything ranging from a thief or a gift to money. It has been described as flying or crawling or even just standing still.
It doesn’t matter our perception, though. Time doesn’t care how we reflect on it because it is going pass us by anyway. We can try to kill time, to waste time, or even to fill our time with noble deeds to make us feel better. But despite our actions, the seconds keep ticking like a giant metronome counting down our days.
86,400 Seconds
Every morning, I am credited with 86,400 seconds, assuming I am not struck by a giant meteor or some other tragedy before the next day.
This past weekend I chose to spend two days worth of those seconds at IZEAfest. Founded by Orlando-based Ted Murphy, IZEA connects brands and online influencers in a very powerful way and on a very large scale. Influencers from all over the world flew in for this conference, and we got to hear from many noted speakers including Shark Tank’s Daymond John.
While I learned some new things about SnapChat and Facebook live streaming, the biggest take-away from the weekend was simply the reminder that I truly do love to create. My heart sings as the artist inside me starts contemplating writing that book, doing videos, creating something meaningful.
“The artist must create a spark before she can make a fire. Then she must be ready to be consumed by the fire of her own creation.” -Auguste Rodin
I’ve been consumed by teaching. I’ve been consumed by my conferences. I’ve been consumed by swimming.
So how do you choose to fill your time?
I left my job as a classroom teacher a few years ago to focus on Florida Swim Network and my blogging conference FLBlogCon. It was terrifying to take the leap into full-time entrepreneurship, but I gleefully found my heart singing as I was consumed with the HUSTLE of building two newish businesses.
Throw in 3 months spent in a tech accelerator, the launching of an Apple TV channel, the consulting of businesses on blogging and social media, plus shooting two TV shows (Blog Talk TV and On Deck with Florida Swim Network), and I could probably rival anyone else’s claims as the busiest mom in Central Florida.
Apparently I’m hardwired for hustle
For those who know me well, though, they understand that’s just how my mind operates. I’m apparently hard-wired for HUSTLE. (I would have had 5 other projects going, too, if I could have found the time.)
This is not really how I choose to live my life, but rather how my mind compels me to live it. My brain is always running on a hamster wheel, so I can either medicate it or embrace it.
Either way, I just don’t do down-time well.
At. All.
Nothing but time
After 6 years of HUSTLE, though, I suddenly have less to fill those daily 86,400 seconds after the recent acquisition of Florida Swim Network.
A whole lot less.
I realize this sounds like everybody’s dream — time to read, travel, volunteer, spend outdoors, unplug. And, yes, this might be true if I won the lottery, but I’ve still got a mortgage to pay, so traveling the world isn’t exactly on the table.
And remember… It’s virtually IMPOSSIBLE for my mind not to be whirling away and not working on something!
But I do have a bit of of a pause to choose how I want to fill those seconds going forward. Thus I find myself in an enviable position to craft how I will spend my upcoming days:
- Do I increase my consulting work?
- Do I go back to teaching?
- Do I do a third season of Blog Talk TV?
- Do I start doing smaller seminars leading up to my big conference?
- Do I expand the number of spots available in my Marketers in Mind micro-community?
- Do I spend my time creating videos/podcasts about blogging and social media?
- Do I travel around Central Florida creating videos that showcase the places I love?
- Do I reach out to companies I really like to become an exclusive brand ambassador for them?
- Do I return to my roots of writing?
- Do I start that political blog I’ve been dying to in order to tell people what I really think? (Just kidding!)
I’ve got some thinking to do, so I think I’ll spend the next 86,400 seconds deciding what project will next make my heart sing.
My question to you: Are you filling your seconds well?
Truly think on this question, because while time credits us new each morning, we can’t roll over any of it!
